ARGENTINA REGION BY REGION - Argentina - page 179

E Museo Histórico
Provincial Marqués de
Sobremonte
Rosario de Santa Fe 218.
Te l [phone]. Open
9:30am-2:30pm Mon-Fri.
The superb 18th-century
building that houses this
museum was once the city's
largest colonial residence,
home of the Governor-General
of Córdoba, Marqués de
Sobremonte, between 1784
and 1798. He was largely
responsible for modernizing
the city's sanitation. While only
a few of the items on display in
the museum belonged to the
Marqués, most are from the
same period. These include
some wonderful paintings in
the style of the Peruvian Cusco
School, some of which have
been restored and seem to
glow ethereally in the light.
The cedarwood altarpiece in
the Capilla Azul (Blue Chapel)
and the religious paintings
in the adjoining room
compete for attention with
various secular displays of
pharmaceutical products,
musical instruments, and
home furnishings.

VISITORS' CHECKLIST

Practical Information
Road map C2.
435 miles (700 km) NW of Buenos
Aires. * 1,300,000. n Rosario
de Santa Fe 39, [phone].
∑ turismo.cordoba.gov.ar
Transport
k @

simple, almost rustic in their
lack of adornment, while the
nave has panels depicting the
trials of the Jesuits. The most
striking elements of the church
are the Cusco altarpiece and the
elaborate pulpit. A doorway
marked Puerta del Cielo
(Gateway to Heaven) provides
access to the Capilla Doméstica.
This small space is a model of
artisanal church decoration,
featuring bamboo and raw-
hide panels painted using
vegetable pigments.
South of the church is the
Rectorado de la Universidad
Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) .
Dating from 1621, this is
Argentina's oldest university.
Shaded patios, bougainvillea,
and well-stocked libraries make
this a pleasant place of study.
The Colegio Nacional de
Monserrat located nearby is
another Jesuit edifice. An earlier
school, located outside the city,
was founded in 1687, but was
transferred to the present site in
1782, after the Jesuit priests had
been expelled. An all-male
school until 1998, it still enjoys
a reputation as an elite center
of learning. The neo-colonial
shell is embellished with
majolica tiling, ornate door-
ways, and window grilles.

The stylish exterior of Museo Municipal
de Bellas Artes

located in a lovely 19th-century
mansion built in the French style
by its owner, Dr. Tomás Garzón.
Many of the paintings hail from
the local Cordobesa School,
whose leading practitioner was
Genaro Pérez (1807-54).
Many of the works are
influenced by the French
Impressionists, with a focus
on the landscapes of the
sierras and portraits of
local poli ti cians and
aristocrats. There is
also a collection of art
from the 1880s and
the 1920s, the former
charac terized by
social realism, and
the latter by
European Cubism
and Surrealism.

P Cripta Jesuítica del
Noviciado Viejo
Cnr, Rivera Indarte & Ave Colón.
Te l [phone]. Open
10am-4pm Mon-Fri.
Unearthed in 1989, this
underground site was a Jesuit
novitiate in the 1600s and
1700s, until the Society of Jesus
was expelled from Argentina
in 1773. The remnants of the
original brickwork can be seen
in fragments on the walls. The
three original naves carved
into the rock are used to
house cultural exhibitions
and conferences. Good
acoustics also enable theatri-
cal performances here.

Antique guitar at
Museo Histórico

P Museo Histórico de la
Universidad Nacional de
Córdoba
Obispo Trejo 242. Te l [phone].
Open 9am-6:30pm Mon-Sat.
∑ museosdecordoba.com.ar
Iglesia de la Compañía Open 8am-
1pm, 5-8pm Tue-Sun. 5 noon, 8pm.
Granted by the colonial rulers to
the Jesuits in 1583, this complex
is also called Manzana de los
Jesuitas (Jesuit Block). From here
the Society of Jesus oversaw
their mission to convert native
peoples across central and
northwestern Argentina, as well
as the administration of their
farming and agricultural interests.
The complex, along with five
Jesuit estancias in the province,
was recognized by UNESCO as a
World Heritage Site in 2000.
Iglesia de la Compañía was
built in 1640 and is the country's
oldest surviving Jesuit temple.
The interior and exterior are

E Museo Municipal de
Bellas Artes Dr. Genaro Pérez
Ave General Paz 33. Te l (0351)
434-1646. Open 10am−8pm
Tue−Sun. ∑ museogenaroperez.
wordpress.com
Dedicated to Argentinian works
of the 18th and 19th centuries,
this municipal art gallery is

The grand Cusco altarpiece at Iglesia de
la Compañía

For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99